Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism Turning Points in History: Amazon.co.uk: Bob Edwards: Books

Review

Host of NPR′s Morning Edition and author of Fridavs with Red: A Radio Friendship, Edwards paints a colorful portrait of pioneer broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. An idealistic educator, Murrow started reporting for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) during the late 1930s and was assigned to Europe. Along with other foreign correspondents, he established the groundbreaking concept of providing nightly news "roundups" to the listeners back home in America. Long before CNN and embedded journalists existed, Murrow was determined to let his audience experience the events of World War II as they unfolded, as when he joined the Royal Air Force on a mission to drop bombs on Berlin. By incIuding excerpts from transcripts of Murrow′s reports, the author lets Murrow speak for himself, giving the reader a sense of his insightfulness and his gift for words. As Edwards emphasizes throughout the book, Murrow continued his crusade to provide quality educational material to the public even when he moved over to television. On the whole this succinct and concise biography, as part of the publisher′s Tuming Points series of short works about famous people and events, offers an introduction to Murrow′s fascinating career and to the history of broadcast journalism. Suitable for all libraries, especially for high school media centers. —Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Ctv. Lib. Syst. FL (Library Journal , May 1, 2004)

Edwards, who has hosted NPR’s Morning Edition since 1979 (though he’s just announced his retirement from that post, as of April 30 of this year), examines the charismatic career and pioneering efforts of renowned newsman Murrow for Wiley’s Turning Points series. Murrow’s broadcasting innovations were indeed significant turning points. Joining CBS in 1935, when radio news usually focused on such preplanned events as parades and flower shows, Murrow ran the network’s European Bureau by 1937 and became a celebrity in 1940 with his stunning rooftop broadcasts of the London Blitz: “Listeners in comfortable living rooms all across the United States were hearing Britons being bombed in real time.” Creating a cadre of WWII correspondents, Murrow flew on 25 combat missions, delivering dramatic reports on everything from the “orchestrated hell” of Berlin to the liberation of Buchenwald’s “living dead.” Mainly remembered for its famed 1954 attack on Joseph McCarthy, Morrow’s groundbreaking TV show See It Now (1951–1958) put field produce rs on location, offering live remotes, split screens, original film footage and unrehearsed interviews at a time other TV news featured only a reading of headlines. Edwards delineates a brief but striking portrait of a “driven man,” a fearless fighter who set such a high standard for himself and others that he became a legend, leaving a lasting impact in newsrooms even after his death in 1965. The book includes excerpts from memorable Murrow broadcasts throughout. (May 7)
Forecast: With more than 10 Turning Points titles now in print, readers may begin to spot this series by its distinctive, standardized cover design. This one is sure to benefit from Edwards’s 14–city author tour. Other forthcoming titles in the series include Sir Martin Gilbert on D–Day. (Publishers Weekly, April 5, 2004)

"Edwards delineates a brief but striking portrait of a ′driven Man′." (Publishers Weekly, April 5, 2004)

Review

"Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism is lean and straightforward, yet comprehensive. It captures the talent as well as the trials and ultimate tragedy of a great journalist, a man who left his mark on the 20th Century Written by a professional who has something to say for himself." —Richard C. Hottelet

"It′s amazing to me that Bob Edwards, who didn′t know Murrow, knows him so well. He gives you all of Murrow—the upper Murrow who could make a Nazi death camp come alive, and the lower Murrow who could do rehearsed celebrity interviews for television. I found in this book the Murrow I knew." —Daniel Schorr Senior News Analyst, NPR

"Get it, read it, and pass it on. Every aspiring broadcast journalism should have it." —Bill Moyers

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Amazon.com: 23 reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

A Quote from Bob Edwards and a Gen X Thumbs Up 15 Jun 2004

By L. Hawkins - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Hardcover

I wasn't born till long after Edward R. Murrow passed away, so I hadn't considered reading this book till I heard Bob Edwards give a interview/talk about Murrow on the Atlanta stop of his book tour. The best way to sum up this fascinating book is with a quote from Bob Edwards the author, himself -- "Most Americans living today never heard Ed Murrow in a live broadcast. This book is for them. I want them to know that broadcast journalism was established by someone with the highest standards. Tabloid crime stories, so much a part of the lust for ratings by today's news broadcasters held no interest for Murrow. He did like Hollywood celebrities; they had no place on his news programs. My book is focused on this life in journalism. I offer it in the hope that more people in and out of the news business will get to know Ed Murrow. Perhaps in time the descent from Murrow's principles can be reversed." - Bob Edwards

Even if you aren't interested in the subject of the history of broadcast journalism, or if you've never heard of Murrow, you will still find this book a fascinating read. You can listen to an audio recording of Mr. Edwards' amazing hour-long interview on NPR.org which also includes audio samples of Murrow's historic broadcasts. Bob Edwards uses transcrips from Murrow's broadcasts in his book so you can get a sense of what Murrow's voice was as he reported on some of the most important events in recent history. A truely engrossing and, paralleled with the 'standards' of today's journalism, enlightening read.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

10 stars 20 Sep 2004

By MotherLodeBeth - Published on Amazon.com

What a timely book, what with CBS mired in a controversy that seems connected with wanting to make news rather than report news.

Murrow was simply the best at reporting the news and in informing the reader and viewer of problems which in turn empowered the viewer to be more of a participant in their government, community and world. This is such a great book if only because it speaks to the value of honesty, integrity and ethics. Three elements missing in today's network 'news' that seems geared more to ratings and money than public service via the public air waves.

Bob Edwards was such a favorite of mine when he was on NPR which alas seems to be wanting to follow the failed path of the three alphabet networks. Edwards is a rare breed because like Murrow and even Cronkite he came across as trusting the listener to use their own brain to think and reason, rather than in need of a substituted brain on half power.

Shy 200 pages I do wish it had been another hundred pages longer. Also read World War II on the Air: Edward R. Murrow and the Broadcasts That Riveted a Nation. Suggest that the powers that be at CBS also read these two books.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Remembering Murrow 4 May 2004

By Frank Baker - Published on Amazon.com

I am too young to have heard the eloquent broadcasts of Edward R. Murrow. But that does not lessen my appreciation of him.

In my office hangs a Murrow poster: a Museum of Broadcasting photo of him with the ever present cigarette dangling from his fingertips.
From my father's album collection, I inherited one of the "I Can Hear It Now" LPs, and I have listened to it many times. In my video
collection, I own the very first "See It Now" broadcast Murrow did for CBS, which includes a very young Don Hewitt in the control room.

Up until recently, it was not possible to locate any of Murrow's original broadcasts, but that has recently changed.
For those who teach and want to add a valuable resource to your collection, I recommend: World War II on the Air: Edward R. Murrow and the
Broadcasts That Riveted a Nation, a book/CD compilation.

Aside from the poster, LP, and videotape, I have the comprehensive biography of Murrow written by Joseph Persico and a copy of "See It Now,"
a book that combines images and text from some of the best of those CBS News broadcasts of the 1950s ( including The Case of
Lieutenant Milo Radulovich).

This spring (2004) I came across Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism a concise book by former
National Public Radio host Bob Edwards. The book begins by quoting from the World War II broadcast which many will agree is
Murrow's most famous from atop a building in London as German bombers approached.

The poet Archibald MacLeish paid tribute to Murrow saying: " You burned the city of London in our houses and we felt the flames that
burned it. You laid the dead of London at our doors and we knew that the dead were our dead....were mankind's dead...."

Edwards admires Murrow and this revealing book is a loving tribute to the man who created modern day broadcast journalism. It was
Murrow who was brought up to love language; who attracted the best and brightest journalists of their time to help deliver the riveting news
from Europe, Asia and Africa to the US; and who fought the establishment when he saw radio and television heading down the path to trivialization and trash.

Edwards allows us to know Murrow the man as well as the journalist. The readers of this book will revel in the words of the man who painted
pictures with his writing. This is a book for every student of history and every one of us who is fond of news. It will remind you how good news
used to be and how it might be again, if the industry would focus on what really matters: objective reporting.

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Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism (Turning Points in History) [Hardcover]

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